Isa

Isa carries more than one distinct origin. As a masculine name in Arabic and related Islamic traditions, it is the Quranic form of Jesus, derived ultimately from the Aramaic Yeshua, and it has been widely used across the Arab world, Persia, the Balkans, and Southeast Asia in honor of the prophet recognized in Islam. As a feminine name in Germanic languages and the Romance languages of Western Europe, it arose as a short form of names beginning with the element is, meaning ice or iron, and is closely related to Isa the Germanic masculine short form sharing that same root. Related forms and cognates include İsa in Turkish and Azerbaijani, as well as Isaura, Isabel, and Isadora.